


Invasion

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Yuma is a Girl [32]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gender or Sex Swap, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-29
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-08 10:49:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12862938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: Yuma can’t wait for Rio to come to school, because at least then there will be someone new for people to focus on. It’s been months since she won the WDC, but girls are still coming up to her and asking her to get Ryoga’s autograph for them, or pass notes on to Kite or…IV, of all people.





	Invasion

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back, y'all!

Yuma can’t wait for Rio to come to school, because at least then there will be someone new for people to focus on. It’s been months since she won the WDC, but girls are still coming up to her and asking her to get Ryoga’s autograph for them, or pass notes on to Kite or…IV, of all people.

“They don’t even call him Thomas!” Yuma fumes to her friends at lunch, “Nor do they seem to care that he admitted to setting Ryoga up.” She just got back from vacation, she’s so not ready to hear Thomas’ name again.

“Some girls have no taste,” Cathy sniffs. “Luckily, I’m not one of them.” She flashes her nails at the group, “Want me to claw them?” she asks, and Yuma sees Tokunosuke shrink back.

Yuma shakes her head. “Thanks but, no thanks. It’ll be over soon, Rio will be here tomorrow.”

“She must be feeling better after that trip,” Takashi says. “How was it?”

Yuma grins and reaches into her backpack. “Got you guys cool stuff,” she says, passing around gift bags. She got them pins, pencils and pens, and keychains.

“Neat!” Tetsuo says. “Wow, but wasn’t it awkward for Rio? I mean, you’re dating her brother.”

Yuma scoffs. “Please, Ryoga was the third wheel.” She laughs at their faces. “No, not really. But I mean, the three of us were friends before Ryoga and I were dating, so we kind of just…fell back into that.” She looks down at her lap. “It was nice. There were times when I could almost pretend things were normal.” Her smile fades. “I’m so happy to have my friend back, and I know how lucky she is, but then there would be times that I could tell how tired she was, and she’d sit in her wheelchair and just kind of slump over. People think waking up from a coma is a miracle but…it’s a lot of work.” She balls her hands into fists. “Damn Tron and Faker and Thomas…every time I think I’m getting over this…!”

A hand lands on Yuma’s shoulder and she jumps.

“Sorry,” Kotori says. She rubs Yuma’s back. “It’s going to be okay, Yuma. We’re here for you if things get to be too much and you need to vent.”

Yuma gives herself a little shake and smiles at her friends. “I know that, and I’m always so grateful to you guys. I just can’t help feeling like this is almost…too easy. That Barian that took over Faker, we didn’t hurt it, you know? Not really. I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“Let it drop!” Tokunosuke cries, holding up his fists, “We’ll take them on, right guys?”

“I’m in,” Tetsuo says.

Takashi nods. “Let them try to get past me.”

Cathy inspects her nails. “If my cards don’t get them, these nails will.”

Kotori reaches into her backpack and pulls out the taser Yuma gave her. Yuma’s jaw drops.

“You took that to school?!” She cries.

Kotori shrugs. “Gotta be prepared.”

It’s funny, but it’s also kind of…not. After all, Yuma’s not the only one this nonsense affected.

The rest of the day seems to drag on. Yuma can’t wait to go home and take a nap, but she ends up not even lasting until the end of the day. She falls asleep during last period, and she has that same stupid dream again.

_Yuma finds herself standing on a crumbling ledge, facing a huge door that’s covered in chains._

_“I’ve been here before,” Yuma blurts. “I’ve said that before, too.”_

_“You have a chance,” a deep voice says. “A chance to unlock great power, but that power comes with a price. You will have to give up that which is precious to you.”_

_What could Yuma possibly lose that’s precious to her? Yeah she has money and a restraining order now, but that’s hardly something precious to her. More precious are her friends…wait a minute._

The bell rings and Yuma falls out of her chair, landing hard on the floor. Thank god she doesn’t wear the girls’ uniform, or she’d be flashing the entire back of the class.

“Fuck my life,” Yuma groans, staring at the ceiling.

Kotori helps her to her feet. “Want me to walk you home?” She asks.

Yuma nods. “Yeah, I might fall asleep on my feet.”

“We’re staying here,” Tetsuo says, “Getting in some duel practice.”

“Have fun,” Yuma tells them. She waves goodbye and she and Kotori head out.

“I can’t wait to hang out with Rio tomorrow,” Kotori says.

“She’s excited to meet everyone,” Yuma says. “And excited to get back to class, like a giant nerd.”

“Will she be okay?” Kotori asks. “It’s the middle of the year, and she did miss a lot of school.”

“Ah, about that,” Yuma starts, but she cuts off as her phone rings. She glances at the caller ID—“It’s Ryoga,” she tells Kotori, and she answers. “’Sup?”

 _“Yuma, something weird is happening to Rio,”_ Ryoga says.

Yuma’s heart drops. “Weird how?!” She demands.

 _“We’re at the city hospital,”_ Ryoga tells her. _“Come quick.”_

Yuma hangs up and Kotori, seeing her panicked face, hails a cab. The two of them clamber into it and Yuma tells the driver to go to the hospital. “It’s Rio,” she tells Kotori.

 

 

Yuma barrels into Rio’s room. “What happened?!” She gasps.

Rio is lying in a bed with her eyes closed, and Yuma panics further, but Rio opens her eyes. “Yuma,” she says weakly, holding out her hand.

Yuma rushes to Rio’s side and takes her hand. Rio’s eyes are glazed over, and she’s breathing hard. “They’re coming,” Rio pants, “The Barians…they’re coming to take what’s precious to you.”

Ryoga strokes Rio’s hair. “She collapsed,” he tells Yuma, “She seemed like she was in pain, and she keeps saying that the Barians are coming. I swear to god if they hurt her…”

Ryoga continues, but Yuma can’t hear him. She feels like she swallowed ice. They’re coming to take what’s precious to her? That’s what the door said to her! But what could the Barians be coming to take?

Then it hits her—it’s Astral.

“It’s Astral!” Yuma gasps. “It’s always been Astral!”

“What’s Astral?” Ryoga asks.

Yuma shakes her head. “Rio,” she says firmly, “It has no power over you. You know the words—For my will is as strong as yours…”

“And my kingdom is as great,” Rio whispers.

A doctor gently moves Yuma aside and places an oxygen mask over Rio’s face. “I’m concerned about her labored breathing,” he says. “I’d like to get an x-ray of her chest, she may have fluid in her lungs.”

But even now, Rio’s breathing starts to even out. “You have no power over me,” she says, her voice stronger, “You have no power over me.”

Yuma knows that the doctors will still give Rio a thorough examination. She pulls Ryoga aside. “Thomas used a card that Tron gave him to hurt her,” she says, “I wonder if that card was from the other dimension? It would explain why the Barians are affecting Rio.”

Ryoga scowls. “Why does everything come back to that guy?”

Yuma’s phone rings, this time a video call from Tetsuo. She answers, but it’s not Tetsuo’s face she sees.

“Who the fuck are you?” She asks the scarred, muscular guy on the screen.

“A servant of Barian world,” the man answers.

“Yuma!” Tetsuo’s voice yells, “Don’t come! Don’t listen to him!”

The guy on the screen laughs. “I’ve come to take the Numbers,” he says. “And if you want to save your friends, you’ll bring the Numbers to your school.”

The call disconnects, and Yuma stands in disbelief. “What the hell? How did that madman get on school grounds?!”

“Call the police!” Kotori yells.

“He said he was a servant of Barian world!” Yuma says, “No one else knows about Barian world, that means the Barians know where I am, know who my friends are, and have severely underestimated how much of a threat I am. So yeah, I could call the police…or I could face this dude and show Barian world what I’m all about.” She takes the key off her neck and hands it Kotori. “I’m going to need you to look after this for me. If they’ve come for Astral, they can’t get him.”

“But you need Astral for the Numbers,” Kotori says. “And Astral would want to help you.”

Yuma smiles. “I know, and maybe against a weaker opponent I wouldn’t be worried, but that guy was jacked. He could steal the key without even dueling me for it, so I need to be safe.”

Kotori takes the key and holds it to her chest. “Okay, I’ll hold on to it, but I think you’re making a mistake.”

“Noted,” Yuma says, “And I’m sorry you think that.”

Yuma takes off running, out of the hospital, down the road, and all the way back to school. She’s not letting the Barians get Astral, and she’s not letting them get her friends either.

 

* * *

 

 

Ryoga looks at his watch. “What do you think, give her a…fifteen minute head start?”

Kotori purses her lips. “Ten?”

They glance at each other.

“Twelve,” they agree.

 

* * *

 

Yuma picks herself up from the ground and wipes blood from her lip. So, Chaos Numbers are now a thing that she has to deal with, and they can bypass the rule that Numbers can only be destroyed by Numbers.

“This is just fan-tucking-fastic,” she snarls. Now Hope is gone—how poetic.

“And my attack isn’t over,” says the madman, “You’re going to savor every last bit of Barian world’s power.”

“You’re gonna savor my fist in your mouth by way of your ass in about two minutes!” Yuma screams.

Then this maniac sends 2000 points of damage her way, and she’s left with only 500 life points. And she’s got a feeling this dude isn’t acting under his own free will—he’s got some weird silver symbol on his forehead that sure doesn’t look like anything a biker would wear, and she’s wondering if it’s from Barian world. This day just keeps getting better, and the terror is starting to set in. Maybe she should have called the cops.

 

* * *

 

Apparently every single police vehicle has been vandalized and it’s going to take a while to get to the school. Ryoga knows this because Kite called him to say that Heartland is now overrun with gang members who are all heading to one place—Heartland middle school.

“Okay,” Ryoga says. “Rio, Kotori and I have to go now.”

Rio nods, and she grabs Ryoga’s hand and squeezes it. “If you let anything happen to Yuma I will never forgive you,” she says.

Ryoga nods. “I would expect nothing less from you.”

He and Kotori race out. “Okay, here’s the plan,” Ryoga tells Kotori, “You take the back way to school, I’m going to go head off these gang members.”

“And I need to call Akari!” Kotori says, “This is a major scoop!”

It’s hard to run and talk on the phone at the same time, but Kotori manages to convey that Akari needs to investigate how all the police vehicles in the city were vandalized at once, and then she’s able to focus just on running…until a voice almost makes her fall on her face.

_“Kotori…”_

She manages to catch herself before she falls. “Who said that?!”

_“Kotori…I need to help Yuma…”_

“Astral?” She gasps, “Is that you?”

_“Help me…”_

Kotori gains new energy and speeds off. “KATTOBINGU!” She screams.

 

* * *

 

Yuma has 100 life points left and she’s floundering. If this is what it’s going to be like to battle Barian world, then Yuma is in serious trouble. She can’t imagine facing another opponent like this. Maybe she won’t get a chance.

“Yuma!!”

Yuma turns and sees Kotori running towards her like a woman possessed. Yuma turns and takes a step towards her. “Kotori, it’s dangerous,” she gasps, and then her knees buckle and she falls.

Yuma knows she’s in trouble, because the ground feels so comfortable. She could lay here for a year and forego the match, certainly.

“Yuma…” Kotori wheezes, “I brought Astral…”

The Key is pressed into Yuma’s hand, and she manages to open her eyes and look at it. It glows with golden light, and then Astral is there, leaning over Yuma and stroking her hair.

“Why are you being so reckless?” Astral asks her. He’s fading in and out.

“Because…” Yuma says, “They’re coming to take you away. You shouldn’t have come, it’s too easy for them to take you.”

“Who’s going to take me away?” Astral asks.

“The Barians,” Yuma says. “They want you…”

“And you think I can’t stand up for myself?” Astral asks.

“I think they’re too strong,” Yuma admits. “I think it’s hopeless.”

“Bullshit,” Astral says. “Maybe if you were alone, but not when we’re together.” He leans down and smiles at Yuma. “I’m so proud of you, and so grateful. You were willing to go this far to protect me? You were willing to suffer this much so you wouldn’t lose me? Yuma, if there was ever a need for proof that you loved me, this is the ultimate. But I love you, too, and I want to protect you just as much.”

Yuma coughs and sits up. “Oh, I suppose you’re right,” she says. “I’m sorry I tried to keep you out of it.”

“Apology accepted,” Astral says, helping Yuma to her feet—how is it that she can feel him even though they’re not alone? Maybe she’s hallucinating. “Now, let’s finish this.”

Blue light shines from Astral’s body. He screams at the jacked up man across from Yuma, “I won’t forgive those who hurt Yuma, or my friends!”

Yuma puts the key around her neck, and the blue light fades.

She…actually doesn’t remember much from the remainder of the duel. She knows she brings back Hope, and performs a Chaos Xyz change, and then next thing she knows…

“We won?” She asks, staring at the guy across from her as he lies on his back.

Kotori crashes into Yuma and hugs her. “You did it!”

Yuma looks at Astral, who winks at her. “Did we use Zexal?”

“No,” Astral says, “But I may have taken control of your body for a moment there.”

Yuma does feel…strangely well-rested. And she’s minus the scrapes and bruises she had a few seconds ago. Odd.

The guy across from her gets to his feet, laughing. “This isn’t the end!” he screams, “As we speak, my army is on the way here, just waiting to take you out!”

“Oh, you think so?” Kotori asks.

The school gates open, and in walks…Ryoga and Kite.

“You guys!” Yuma screams. She runs to the gates and hugs both of them. Kite sputters, but Ryoga laughs and kisses Yuma’s cheek.

“Where’d you come from?” Yuma asks Kite.

“I’ve been monitoring the city, saw some strange gravitational nonsense going on,” he says, pushing Yuma off of him gently. “Followed it to a mass of bikers getting ready to attack.”

“Yeah, and he called me,” Ryoga says.

“What?!” Jacked-dude yells, “My army was defeated by children?”

“You call that an army?” Kite scoffs.

“Who you calling a child?!” Ryoga demands.

The dude is so busy staring at Kite and Ryoga that he doesn’t notice Orbital come up behind him. “Direct attack,” says the Robot, and he shocks the dude with his very own taser.

Yuma laughs so hard she falls to the ground with it. Oh, the ground is still quite comfy. She needs a nap.

Yuma’s friends rush over and lift her to her feet. “You okay?” Tetsuo asks.

“I need a nap,” she announces. “But first, Kite, I have stuff for you and Hart from Disney world. Where is my bag?”

“You’re delirious,” Kite says.

“No, it’s true!” Yuma tells him.

“Yuma,” Kite says, “Barian world is making their move on this world. That guy was being controlled by them. This is not the time for souvenirs.”

Kotori dashes over to Yuma and hands her the bag with Kite and Hart’s stuff. Yuma holds it up to Kite. “I know there’s an invasion coming,” she says crossly, “So let me be happy for ten seconds, will you?” She shoves the bag into Kite’s hands, then snatches it back and takes out a mouse-ear headband, which she puts on Kite’s head.

Ryoga snorts. “That’s a good look for you, Kite.”

Yuma takes a picture before Kite rips the headband off, then turns to Ryoga. “How’s Rio?”

“Well, she’s not coming to school tomorrow,” he says, “But she’ll be okay.”

Yuma pouts. “Oh…well, as long as she’s okay.”

Cathy comes over and puts a hand on Yuma's shoulder. "Let's get you home now, yeah?"

“Yeah,” Yuma agrees, “Before my sister grounds me for something.”

But Akari is too busy writing about how incompetent Heartland’s police force is to notice Yuma coming home covered in dirt from her duel. Yuma sneaks upstairs to bathe and sleep. Just another typical day, it would seem.


End file.
